Robin Goodfellow’s racing tips: Best bets for Tuesday, June 28
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Tuesday's meetings at Hamilton, Brighton, Chepstow and Stratford.
Month: June 2022
Thoroughbred Survives Severe Case Of Life-Threatening Pneumonia; Gives Birth To Healthy Foal
Lillipad, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred mare, was presented at a breeding sale in Washington, but was labeled barren and went unsold. A friend of Jillian Fallon of Reno, Nevada rescued Lillipad after the sale and sent her to Fallon's ranch. While the trailer ride to Reno was uneventful, her condition deteriorated shortly after arrival.
Fallon noticed that her respiration, heart rate, and temperature were all elevated to dangerous levels. A local veterinarian performed an ultrasound at the ranch and diagnosed her with pleuropneumonia, having found fluid build-up in and around both lungs. Medications administered onsite helped bring Lillipad's vital signs down closer to normal levels, but it was clear she needed further treatment, so Fallon brought her to the UC Davis veterinary hospital the next morning.
“I was hesitant to put her through another long trailer ride considering her condition,” Fallon said. “But after all we went through, I'm glad we went to UC Davis.”
Lillipad would remain hospitalized for three months culminating in a shocking surprise for her owner and care team.
She was treated extensively for severe pleuropneumonia for many weeks, including management with fluid drainage through multiple chest tubes and a thoracotomy, aggressive antibiotic therapy, and intense supportive care by a dedicated team of students, technicians, residents, and faculty members in the Equine Internal Medicine Service.
Throughout all of this, Lillipad was not responding as well as could be expected, and she lost a significant amount of weight – except in her abdomen. To be certain of all possible scenarios, her care team performed an ultrasound and could not believe what they discovered.
Lillipad, previously deemed barren, was pregnant!
They also found evidence of hemorrhaging into her abdomen as a consequence of the pregnancy. The Equine Reproduction Service examined Lillipad and found the foal to be of proper size with a good heart rate. However, Lillipad was still critically ill, and it was unknown how her illness and its complications would affect the continued growth and health of the unborn foal, as well as her ability to have a normal birth. Luckily, it was known that this would be her fourth foaling, so the medical team felt more confident she could handle the birth if she and the baby were healthy enough.
Thankfully, Lillipad's hemoabdomen stabilized quickly and her pleuropneumonia continued to slowly improve over the next two months, and she was transferred from the hospital's Large Animal Clinic to the layup services at the UC Davis Center for Equine Health for a few weeks before returning home. There, she was checked regularly regarding the progress of her pneumonia, thoracotomy incision sites, and the viability of her foal.
She was discharged in January 2022 with about two months remaining of her very high-risk pregnancy, with the continued risk of foaling prematurely. Because of these risks, it was recommended that Lillipad return to UC Davis for the birth if she carried the foal to term. In the event that she would need surgery, had difficulty during labor, or started hemorrhaging again, time would be of the essence and immediate intervention would be needed.
Lillipad did very well at home, gaining weight and finally starting to act like a spirited mare with a zest for life. Fallon returned her to UC Davis for foal watch in March, where she continued to improve and was off all medications before the big day. On March 27, she experienced a quick, uncomplicated birth and delivered a healthy filly.
“Lillipad was a difficult case and involved the dedication of everyone on the Equine Internal Medicine Service, as well as multiple technicians and students,” said Dr. Emily Berryhill. “She is a perfect example of the collaborative nature and extensiveness of our care at UC Davis. This success showcases that dedicated teamwork between our clinical staff, our clients, and our referring veterinarians can result in a positive outcome, even with many ups and downs in between. We are grateful to Ms. Fallon for entrusting us with Lillipad's care.”
Lillipad and her filly, LP's Sunny Miracle, or Mira for short, were able to return home a week later. Currently, Lillipad and Mira are healthy and happy at their forever home with Fallon in Reno.
The post Thoroughbred Survives Severe Case Of Life-Threatening Pneumonia; Gives Birth To Healthy Foal appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Report: Baltas Hearing Postponed Until At Least July 31
With a potential fine or suspension looming, California trainer Richard Baltas will not face a scheduled hearing with stewards at Los Alamitos Friday after Darrell Vienna, the trainer's lawyer, successfully asked for a postponement. The story was first reported by Daily Racing Form.
Vienna told DRF Monday that he has received a 30-day continuance in the case from Los Alamitos stewards. A new hearing has not been scheduled, with the earliest it can come being July 31 at Del Mar.
“I didn't receive the full complaint until seven days before the hearing,” Vienna said. “In order to prepare an adequate defense, I need time.”
It was reported last week that 23 horses trained by Baltas, who was banned from Santa Anita and other 1/ST Racing tracks with scant initial explanation in early May, were allegedly administered substances on race day in violation of California Horse Racing Board rules. Baltas was ordered to appear before the Los Alamitos stewards by the CHRB, which opened an investigation into the trainer May 8.
The postponement of Friday's hearing leaves up in the air whether or not Baltas will be allowed to stable and start horses at the Del Mar summer meet, which starts July 22.
The post Report: Baltas Hearing Postponed Until At Least July 31 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Tom Marquand Believes There Is ‘More To Come’ From Alenquer In Coral-Eclipse
Jockey Tom Marquand admits Alenquer will need to take a step forward if he is to land the Coral-Eclipse next Saturday (July 2), but he believes the Group 1-winning colt has a couple of “strings to his bow” that can help him achieve victory in the Sandown Park feature.
The Classic-winning rider will join forces with the William Haggas-trained son of Adlerflug, who he has partnered on eight of his 10 career starts to date, in the Group One mile and a quarter contest which this year is worth £750,000 (US$919,985).
Having partnered Alenquer, who races in the colors of M M Stables, to Group One glory in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh 41 days ago, Marquand will look to repeat the feat over the same course and distance the pair secured Group Three glory in the bet365 Classic Trial in April 2021.
The form of Alenquer's latest success given a major boost at Royal Ascot, with third placed State Of Rest winning the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and fifth-placed Broome landing the Hardwicke Stakes, giving Marquand even further cause for optimism.
Marquand said: “The Coral-Eclipse is not an easy Group One by any means and being realistic he probably has to take another little step forward, not a leap, but there is no reason why he shouldn't.
“Sandown is a beautiful track and it will be fair ground as they do a great job there. It is a stiff 10 furlongs there and he has won his Group One over a stiff 10 at The Curragh.
“The form of his Group One win at the Curragh has worked out well with State Of Rest coming out winning the Prince Of Wales's at Royal Ascot and Broome winning the Hardwicke.
“While that is not a life changer it is a bonus to see it all falling into place the coming weeks afterwards.
“We have a couple of strings to our bow in the fact he loves Sandown and that the stiff finish there should suit him perfectly again.
“We know he loves a fight which at Sandown if you want one at your side when they come to the furlong pole snapping at your heels you would want him.”
Alenquer is an 8-1 chance for Eclipse glory with sponsor Coral. Coral has backed the Eclipse since 1976 in what is the longest-running Group race sponsorship anywhere in the world.
While Marquand could not have predicted what Alenquer would go on to achieve following his winning debut at Newbury back in August 2020, he admits he left the Berkshire track that day with a positive impression.
Marquand said: “He won impressively on debut at Newbury but there was a lot to work on as he was a teenager.
“He loved the soft ground that day and it probably helped him get away with winning first time as being a bit green it brought everything back to him a bit.
“When they win first time out it just pricks your ears and puts them on the radar. When he won you got excited and started hunting where he might be heading next.
“He was still doing things a little bit wrong when he was beaten next time out by Fancy Man in a Listed race at Haydock Park as he hung a little bit but he ran super.
“It might have been disappointing on the day getting turned over but when you look at it you realise it was a big step up but there is a horse there to play with and that it was a step in the right direction.”
Victory in the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at the Royal meeting was arguably the highlight of Alenquer's campaign last season which also saw him take in the Juddmonte International at York, along with the Grand Prix de Paris and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, both at Paris-Longchamp.
However, the bond Marquand would go on to strengthen throughout 2021 with Alenquer nearly got off to the worst possible start according to the rider.
He added: “I'd been over with Addeybb and that crowd in Australia and I actually nearly missed the ride on him as the quarantine period was putting me wrong.
“Addeybb run on the Saturday in Australia and I got straight on a plane and flew back but the quarantine period was seven days at the time.
“I wasn't able to get a sport exemption at first and I didn't think I would be able to ride him on the Friday as my first day back was on the Saturday.
“All of a sudden I was able to get an exemption for sport for the fact I'd only been in the racing circle and the fact I done nothing else for the five days before I left Australia.
“He was actually my first ride back in Britain from Australia so it was a good start back to the turf season and as you say the form line is impeccable really.
“It was disappointing that he missed the Derby but Ascot was a back-up and he won there really well and that was a bit of redemption for missing the Derby.
“I thought at York on that quicker ground over a mile and a quarter he struggled against those with speed. Mishriff picked us up at the two and a half and he felt like he was crying out for either a stiffer track or to go back to a mile and a half.
“The Arc run wasn't a bad run by any means with no major excuses. It has probably strengthened up and done well with another winter on his back.”
This year saw Alenquer make a winning return in the Group 3 Winter Derby at Lingfield before finishing sixth upped back to Group 1 level in the Sheema Classic at Meydan in March.
Although a few things went against Alenquer in Meydan on his penultimate outing Marquand was pleased to see him bounce back at the Curragh with a victory that he now hopes is a sign of things to come for the remainder of the campaign.
He added: “In Dubai he had excuses. He pulled a shoe and my leather snapped and it all got a bit messy and it probably affected him mentally so it was a bit of a tough day.
“Ireland went a lot better than I could have planned. Ryan (Moore on High Definition) went a good gallop to drag the stamina out of Lord North and played it towards us.
“He was really tough that day and he stayed the stiff mile and quarter at the Curragh well and he had to tough it out at the end.
“I wouldn't say we saw a new Alenquer at the Curragh, just a little bit of a stronger version of him. To be honest, it was what we thought was always there.
“I was convinced his Group One would come over a mile and a half but it was great that it came over 10 for his future prospects after he finishes racing.
“I'm delighted that he got his Group One early on in the year with hopefully more to come.”
The post Tom Marquand Believes There Is ‘More To Come’ From Alenquer In Coral-Eclipse appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
